Ever After
by Rain7
Summary: Something unexpected happens to the most unexpected person on the crew and threatens to cause havoc and possibly romance, but will it be happy Ever After? *Complete*
1. A week ago

Chapter 1 

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I just borrow 

Summary: In vague terms, it's a story using the characters of Andromeda and the setting of the Andromeda and about the people on the Andromeda and saying anymore would give too much away. So please read on. 

She couldn't believe this had happened. He had seemed like such a nice guy and the time they'd spent together had been wonderful. They had so many similar interests, they had talked and laughed and had so many really deep conversations. And that night... it had been nice and normal and he was normal and it was all great. 

It wasn't unheard of, it happened frequently throughout the history of mankind. Girl meets guy, girl and guy like each other. Girl and guy get intimate. Guy leaves girl. 

She just never thought it would happen to her. 

Well, the guy leaving part, she knew that would happen but the situation in which he left her in, she wasn't expecting that. And now what was she going to do? In her position what was one supposed to do?

How could she have let this happen? Or to put the blame where it belonged, how could he do this to her? How was she supposed to cope? She wasn't ready or prepared for this, how could she be? She never thought one night of passion could lead to this. Hell, a week ago she didn't even think AI's could get pregnant! 

. . .

Lets go back a week or so...

They had met Cole on a small backwater colony somewhere in the Adreas system. They had been delivering medical supplies to a colony suffering a serious outbreak of a disease that had been brought there by a supply ship. 

While they were delivering the supplies Dylan and Beka had met Cole and he had asked them for passage off the planet and they, being the kind souls they were, agreed.

When they realised he was a AI they dutifully introduced him to Rommie and left him in her care. They got to know each other.

He had been originally programmed as a surgeon in a hospital on some other backwater drift. He'd been working there for a while when there was a scare of AI's going insane and murdering patients so he'd moved on. 

He had learned a lot about engineering so that he could learn to fix and modify himself but this didn't always work and he liked to live near people so help was always at hand. 

He had been working as an emergency doctor on the colony but the people tended to prefer humans to AI. He was sentient, like Rommie, but people were still very distrustful and he understood.

During the two weeks he stayed, he and Rommie became very close and one night after a romantic dinner, they interfaced. It wasn't like anything she had ever done before, it was exciting and scary and so many other emotions all at the same time. But it was nice. 

He left the next day, like he had said he would. Rommie would have liked him to stay but he didn't think that he would really be any use to such competent people. 

And after he left things returned to normal, at least they appeared to in the beginning but then.......

"Harper, I think I've contracted a virus. It's in my AI and my avatar, even my holo-programming"

Harper looked up from where he was working in a conduit on deck six. 

"Alright I'll take a look when I'm finished this." 

He turned back to what he was doing.

"My avatar would like you to take a look now. She very insistent."

Harper sighed in exasperation. "Alright, I'm coming. Where is she?"

"Machine shop two"

And so she was. When Harper arrived she was sitting on a stool with her hands clutching her stomach. 

"What seems to be the problem Rom-doll?"

She looked up and scowled at him but Harper could see from her face that something wasn't right. He grabbed some tools and pulled a stool up next to her.

"Well your matrix seems okay, no major problems, everything seems to be working but the virus or whatever it is is causing some changes. How do you feel Rommie?"

She looked up at him and seemed to relax slightly sitting back in the chair. 

"Well, I have been feeling very nauseous but it seems to have passed"

Harper grinned at her. "Nauseous huh? Are you sure it wasn't something you ate?"

Rommie glared at him. "I'm an AI, Harper. I don't eat and I don't feel nauseous!"

Harper reasoned with her to try and keep her calm. 

"Well, are you feeling nervous or anxious about anything? Those feelings would cause these symptoms in a human" 

He didn't succeed. "Well it's not just me it's my AI mainframe and my holo-programming as well."

Harper sighed running his hand thorough his hair. 

"Alright, why don't you go and lie down or something and I'll run your program through a detailed diagnostic program, okay? I'll tell you if I find anything"

Rommie went to do what Harper suggested and lie down and Harper went to see if he could find what was wrong with her. And when he did, his biggest problem was not what to tell Rommie but how to tell her.

. . .

Still a week ago...

"What do you mean I'm pregnant! Harper I'm an AI, an android, I can't be pregnant"

Harper vainly searched the room for an escape but he knew that there was no real way put of this. 

"It's simple Rommie, the virus, which is apparently not a virus but a program is designed to create a kind of baby android. It is reprogramming different sections of your systems to create a replica using data from you and from some other unknown source. Kind like human reproduction only on a different level."

"Cole, it's using data from Cole"

Harper looked at Rommie questioningly.

"You and he... interfaced? Then the program must have originated from his programming cos it sure as hell wasn't in yours, I should know I built you and..."

Harper broke off suddenly.

"And what? Harper if you know something, tell me"

Harper looked suddenly guilty.

"When I was building you Rommie there were a couple of things I left out. One was the programming for self-replication. I didn't have the materials and anyway, it wasn't a vital part of the programming and it was untested. But I did leave you with the capacity for the programming to be added later. Which is good cos you have it now"

Rommie stared at Harper in disbelief and then a wave of nausea overcame her and she sank back into her chair. 

"How exactly am I going to reproduce and what exactly am I going to produce?"

Rommie was confused to say the least but she needed to know what was happening to her. 

"It seems to be happening on a number of levels. Your avatar is creating an actual android baby, it is using parts from you to create a mixture of yours and Cole's basic structure on a smaller scale. Presumably when it is born it will continue it's self-replication to enable it to grow. Like a human child.

"As for your mainframe, well it seems to be adding the babies own program as a sub-program to yours but as it grows it should become a separate entity to you. 

"And your holo-programming is adjusting itself to the same parameters as your avatar and presumably it will carry a holo-baby or bump until the baby is born and becomes a separate hologram of it's own. And did I mention that most of this is theory and not actual practice?"

Rommie sat in stunned silence for a few seconds. It was too much, too much to take in. What was she going to do with a baby? How would she cope as a single mother? Did she even want the baby? 

And more importantly, how exactly was she going to tell Dylan? 

. . .

This could be the strangest story I've ever started writing. This comes from watching the Moonlighting episode "Womb with a view", playing The Sims and not getting enough sleep. So do you want to read more? If so please review and I'll get started on the next chapter. Homework be damned! 


	2. Unexpected

Ever After Chapter Two

Disclaimer: See first chapter

Okay so I couldn't damn homework because I had an Irish test, which I most likely failed because it's the only language I've ever studied that I cannot understand. Anyway, here goes chapter two...

"Dylan, I'm having a baby .... Captain Hunt I'd like to inform you of my current medical condition, I'm pregnant.... Captain my AI and I have something to tell you ... we're having a baby. Or how about... when Cole left well, he forgot something...."

Rommie was pacing the observation deck. She had so much to look forward to, mood swings, morning sickness, telling Dylan , the joys of Motherhood. And how exactly was the ship itself going to cope (AN - Think Moya in Farscape). What was her condition going to do to her crew? She had so much responsibility. 

She was going to have to talk to Dylan. And sooner rather than later. 

No sooner had that thought finished when the doors opened and there he was. He smiled and walked towards her. 

"Harper and holo-Rommie said you needed to talk to me?"

He seemed a bit confused and perplexed by this. She'd have to have words with her other selves. 

"Yes, I wanted to talk to you. I, Dylan I'm....."

She couldn't say it, all her prepared words were gone and she didn't know what to say. 

"Rommie, what is it? What ever it is you can tell me"

He was so sweet and concerned. She couldn't face him and she turned away. She felt his hand on her shoulder. She calmed her emotions and began again.

"When Cole was here, he and I interfaced and it had some unexpected results. I'm having a baby."

Rommie turned to face him and Dylan's face now showed shock and surprise. 

"How? How is it possible? You're not human you can't..."

He looked at her for an answer.

"Well maybe we had better sit down" They both sat down and Rommie preceded to tell him all that Harper had discovered.

. . .

A short while later...... 

"So that's how it happened"

Rommie finished telling Dylan what they had discovered over the past two days.

"I'm really sorry Dylan, I never meant this to happen"

Dylan was still shocked but he managed to pull himself together enough to see that Rommie needed support right now.

"Rommie you have nothing to apologise for. I know it is unexpected and sudden for you but... we'll help you through it. You are not alone here and I will help you all the way. Women have been going through this for a long time now, there have been millions of single mothers and you won't be alone, you'll have all the support you need."

Dylan was trying his best to comfort her but he made one mistake.

"But Dylan, I'm not a woman, I'm an android"

. . .

Two months later. . .

"Ship!" Tyr's voice bellowed as he walked into command. Rommie looked up and sighed. 

"What seems to be the problem Tyr?"

The Nietzchean glared at her and answered angrily.

"First the lights are too bright that I can barely see. My doors open too slowly that I keep walking into them and my shower was ice-cold. You will do something about this."

Holo-Rommie appeared beside him. 

"You should talk. Look at me, my abdomen is swollen and my breasts are...."

She broke off and disappeared, looking embarrassed. 

Rommie sighed. 

"Tyr this is very trying on everyone. You should take consolation in the fact that you aren't going to have a baby and that once it's born your problems will end whereas mine will escalate."

Rommie was tired and cranky trying to deal with her own symptoms and those of her other selves. Tyr realised that she was upset and stressed and decided he had been too harsh.

"I apologise just please try and sort the problems. If Nietzchean women can fight wars and have children then certainly so can you."

Rommie grumbled a reply at him

"I'd rather stand three times on the front line than bear one child"

Tyr smirked at her.

"Medea? So indeed you are a woman scorned. Do you plan on murdering this Cole if you ever find him or is it someone else who holds your love"

Rommie glared at the laughing Nietzchean.

"Tyr if you don't leave command in the next ten seconds I will activate my internal defences and enact my revenge on you"

Still laughing Tyr exited command. Rommie sank to the floor and out her head in her hands. It was becoming so much more difficult to handle all of this and if it was this hard now what was it going to be like when the baby was born. 

Which it would be in about four months according to Harper. Four more months of this! The constant discomfort, the moaning of the crew and the whole idea of being a mother. She was a warship how would she be any good at this motherhood thing.

Hot tears fell down her cheeks and her head was in her hands. She didn't even hear the footsteps coming towards her.

"Oh, Rommie" The person sat down beside her and a hand encircled her shoulder. She leaned back into him, sighing and trying to control her sobs.

"I'm sorry, I'm just a little emotional at the moment"

She could feel Dylan's eyes on her. He abruptly let her go and turned her round so she was facing him.

"It's more than that Rommie. What's wrong?" 

She didn't reply and he turned her face up so she was looking at him. 

"I'm just, worried that I'm not going to be a good mother. How can I be, I was never meant to have a child. And I'm so scared that I'll do something wrong or that I won't be able to cope."

Dylan smiled gently at her. 

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. And you will be a good mother Rommie, I know you will. And with all the uncles and aunts this kid will have, he's in good hands."

Rommie gave a small smile at that. 

"Anyway, Beka is expecting you on the Maru in an hour. You, she and Trance are going on some fun girls only adventure. Go have fun." 

He gave her a quick hug and she went to change. She was curious about what Beka and Trance were planning. It sounded like fun!!

. . .

Okay, not exactly what I was planning but hey, lots more strange stuff next chapter with ... well if I told you then it wouldn't be surprising would it so you'll have to wait a bit. 


	3. Unwanted

Ever After Chapter Three

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

Thank you for all the reviews, they were very encouraging. I was beginning to think I'd dug myself into a typically Irish hole .i.e. something that you couldn't do if you tried, but with all the good reviews, even the one calling me insane (which I totally agree with) I kept going. Enjoy the chapter. 

As soon as Dawn appeared, fresh and rosy fingered...... no, wait a minute, ignore that or if that sentence seems to hold many promising things (which it does), read Homer's the Odyssey. 

Anyway, Beka, Trance and the expectant Rommie had headed off for some fun ... a health spa on Aphro 4. They stayed for five days being pampered, massaged and in general relaxing and having fun. It did Rommie good and they returned feeling quite happy with themselves.

But two days after she got back and Rommie felt like she'd never left. Systems were still malfunctioning across the ship and her other selves were arguing about every little thing.

Her monitoring systems were also malfunctioning which was why the autopilot was offline (the sensors couldn't detect asteroids, other ships or the odd sun they might fly into) and everyone was working double shifts just to keep the ship on it's proper course. 

And on top of all that she kept feeling like she was going to cry and she didn't know why. The other mood swings she could deal with, the angry, irritated, and general mad at the universe ones weren't really that bad. 

The only problem was that Harper still hadn't figured out exactly how the baby was born. The general theory was that it wasn't the normal human way because it didn't seem possible. However, the guidelines by which she was built didn't specify exactly 

what was going to happen. Apparently they never expected it to get this far. 

And there was still a while to go so she didn't see the point in worrying yet. But what happened next changed her opinion about everything.

Two of the new Commonwealth official Ambassadors arrived on Andromeda with the intention of discussing some of the recent changes in the ruling power structure. Dylan had tried putting them off because it wasn't strictly necessary but however they arrived nevertheless.

As the walked on board, they were greeted by herself and Captain Hunt.

"Captain Hunt, it is nice to finally meet you and Andromeda, we have heard so much about you." 

The first Ambassador, a man named Sophis Kent greeted them, yet there was something Rommie noticed in his eyes that betrayed a sense that there was something wrong. 

The other ambassador cut in on their greetings.

"We would like to speak to you alone Captain Hunt. No preliminaries are necessary, there will be time for that later."

Captain Hunt looked at the abrupt man, Ambassador Gerard Brooke. He hadn't been told that this was an urgent matter.

"Of course, Ambassadors, if you would come this way."

Rommie systems monitored them as they made their way into the formal conference room then, as they activated the privacy mode, all her monitors ceased. She sighed, dignitaries, they just kept getting more difficult.

Three hours later....

It had been hours since they had gone into the conference room and Rommie had been on Command since then, trying to help Harper with the autopilot. 

She heard Dylan's voice over the comms. "Rommie could you report to the conference room immediately please" 

Dylan sounded angry and stressed, like he always did when annoying dignitaries were on board. She made her way quickly to the conference room ands the door hissed closed behind her. 

She took everything in, Dylan sitting on one side of the table, his head in his hands and the two ambassadors on the other, both looking grimly determined.

Dylan looked up and motioned her to sit down. There was something she couldn't' quite place in his eyes. He looked at the ambassadors and the gaze was by no means friendly.

"Tell her what you told me"

Ambassador Kent looked briefly flustered but Ambassador Brooke spoke and his voice rang with authority.

"Andromeda Ascendant, it has been ordered by the ruling Commonwealth members that, as you are an essential part of the Commonwealth fleet, you cannot be compromised by the recent events that have resulted with you currently carrying an android child. 

The android's growth is to be terminated and the files associated with it are to be deleted. The incomplete android is them to be given to the commonwealth artificial intelligence institute for study and research purposes. This is to be done as soon as possible."

He stopped speaking and just looked at her, as if daring her to speak. She opened her mouth to say something when the full meaning of his words hit her. They wanted her to abort her child, they wanted to kill her baby!

Ambassador Brooke stood up to leave. "Your Captain will give you any details you need and we will speak to you again in a few hours.

As he turned to leave Rommie's voice followed him. 

"You can't do this!" 

He looked back at her. "We can and will. You are an AI, you have no rights and neither does your child." He left and Ambassador Kent followed. 

Rommie was in shock. She turned to Dylan who hadn't said a word. 

"Dylan you can't let them do this, I may not have been prepared for this baby three moths ago, but I am now. This is my child, it's part of me. They can't take it away from me."

She broke down crying and Dylan moved to her, holding her against him and speaking softly to her. 

"I know, Rommie, I know. It's going to be okay, we'll find a way to stop this. I promise you, I won't let this happen." 

Rommie's crying stopped. When Dylan Hunt makes you a promise, he keeps it. 

"We have to go and tell the others." 

He took her hand and led her out the door and towards command, calling everyone there except the two ambassadors.

Most of them were there when they arrived. Dylan gave them a very short version of what had happened. They all looked horrified and disgusted.

"Dylan, they can't do that" holo-Rommie protested glancing towards her holo-bump. Which she, like avatar Rommie, had a protective hand on.

Harper looked furious. He had a nano-welder in his hand and was shaking it, saying "I'd like to give them a piece of my mind." Trance's hand had moved to her force lance and she looked both angry and horrified. 

Beka was just as furious. "What right do they have to do this to her? She has just as much right to have a child as we do!"

It was Tyr who was the most surprising though, Rommie really didn't think he would care either way. But she was wrong.

"As, unconventional as this pregnancy is, it is a pregnancy nonetheless and the baby is of one race and even if it wasn't, that wouldn't change my opinion . It is a perfectly natural occurrence and even though she is not organic, Rommie has every right to have a child as does any women. Therefore, I suggest we do something to stop this."

Rommie looked at him with gratitude, there were tears trailing slowly down her cheeks.

"Thank you Tyr, that means a lot to me."

Dylan looked at them all. They were all willing to fight for their friends child, like all good friends should be. 

"Okay, then I will contact the Commonwealth council and petition the orders. That will at least slow things down for a while. Beka, find the nearest Commonwealth flag ship so we can return the Ambassadors to their homes After spending three hours arguing these orders with them, I'd just as soon have them off this ship."

He looked around at his crew and they all began to follow his orders.

"That will not be necessary Captain Hunt."

Ambassadors Brooke and Kent were standing at the entrance to command. Brooke looked quite pleased with himself, almost pleasant. 

"A ship will be picking us up shortly. We were monitoring your conversation. Our orders were very specific, we were told that you probably wouldn't be very obliging so we were given a virus to infect your AI with and it should carry out our orders. I am sorry that we couldn't meet under better circumstances, but it's for the best."

He smiled at them, gloating at his victory while the crew stared at him, horrified.

"What kind of virus?" Dylan voice was menacing.

"A very fast acting virus that will stop the android babies growth and delete the all files associated with it. Effectively aborting the pregnancy."

Dylan grabbed his forcelance and in a few quick strides had grabbed Brookes collar and was aiming the force lance at him. 

"How do we stop it?! How?"

Dylan shook the man with each word. Brooke looked worried but still comfortable behind his highguard regulations. Kent had backed away only to find Tyr next to him with a weapon in hand.

"There is no way to stop it, there is nothing you can do. Now let me go!" At that moment Rommie, who had been panicing and doing a self-diagnostic on herself, clutched her stomach and collapsed to her knees. 

Dylan let go of Brooke and he and Kent hurried out of Command as Dylan went to tend to Rommie.

"Harper! Do something!"

Holo-Rommie appeared, she too was clutching her stomach. 

"It's invaded all my systems and has begun to delete the files. It's killing the baby!"

Dylan was holding Rommie in his arms. "Hold on Rommie, please hold on. Harper, please do something."

Harper was working fast, trying to find a way to stop it, any way, but it was a very resistant virus. 

Rommie looked up and her eyes met Dylan, there were tears streaming down her face. 

She spoke barely more than a whisper.

"Dylan, please don't let my baby die." He kissed her cheek and held the sobbing women in his arms, praying for a miracle.

. . .

'Yesterday I knew no lullaby 

but you have taught me overnight to order 

this song, which takes from your final cry 

its tune, from your unreasoned end its reason; 

it's rhythm from the discord of your murder, 

its motive from the fact that you cannot listen. 

Child of our time, our times have robbed your cradle. 

Sleep in a world your final sleep has woken' 

. . .

Okay.... (holds up shield to protect herself). Don't kill me! It's necessary for me to stay alive for you to get the next chapter and anyway, it could easily go both ways (despite the poem, who's relevance I'm not entirely sure of). But all good fanfics need cliff-hangers, and this will be no exception. I do promise that I will hurry with the next chapter though, and not hold you in suspense for too long! 

The poem is an extract from 'Child of our time' by Eavan Boland for Aengus. 


	4. Hope

Ever After Chapter Four

Disclaimer: A long, long time ago, in a galaxy really nearby, I wrote a disclaimer. See chapter 1

I should probably call this prelude to chapter 4 because it is short but I'm not sure how short. People seem to like this story, well at least judging from all the good reviews I'm getting. Thanks! It's keeps my mind off the impending doom of Chemistry tests. Anyway here goes purple vending cups..... 

"You have to help her!" 

Dylan's pleas were getting more and more frantic as he held on to Rommie. He felt so helpless there was nothing he could do to save Rommie's baby. He'd made her a promise and he always kept his promises.

"Dylan, I'm trying but I can't stop the virus, it's multiplying and spreading through the babies systems, it's already destroyed a large percent the files and programming. And..."

Harper paused as something appeared on his readout.

"Of course, the self-protection program...." He glanced up at Dylan and Rommie and then back down at his readout.

"The baby has it's own self-protection program, it's not very developed but it's beginning to combat the virus, it is protecting all it's vital components and the virus is receding. The program is activating counter-measures to protect the baby..."

As Harper was telling him this, Dylan, who was holding Rommie's hand suddenly yelled in pain. And pulled his hand from Rommie's.

"What the hell was that?" He was holding up his now bleeding palm. Trance left to grab a medkit.

"It's probably just a malfunction because of the virus program and the fact that the babies own protection program is, like everything else, untested."

As Trance tended to his wound, Dylan turned his attention back to Rommie. 

"How are you doing?"

Rommie gave a small smile. "The baby is fighting off the virus and it's almost completely destroyed but a high percentage of the babies systems are damaged and the growth process may not restart. We'll just have to wait and see if it can overcome the damage."

When Trance had finished Dylan helped Rommie to her feet and supporting her, headed towards the door. He paused and turned back to look at his crew.

"Where are the Ambassadors?" 

Holo-Rommie, who was looking better than before, answered him. 

"They are at the entrance to the hangar deck, obviously waiting for their transport ship to take them home."

Dylan smiled grimly. "Tyr, Beka, please collect our guests and finds them some nice accommodation on v-deck. Then you can have some fun and find out exactly who ordered the virus to be created."

He turned with Rommie to leave, then he turned back.

"Oh and guys, don't actually hurt the ambassadors, at least not yet. And when their transport ship arrives tell them that we're holding them on charges of attempted murder of an unborn infant and if they insist on having them back, fire a couple of warning shots at them. That should get rid of them"

. . .

Dylan brought Rommie back to her quarters and helped her lie down on her bed. 

"You should try and get some rest, Harper is monitoring the baby and he'll let you know if there is any news. You are better off resting and letting the baby take care of itself at the moment."

He kissed her forehead and stood up to leave. But Rommie grabbed his hand.

"Stay with me?" She looked so vulnerable and scared. And so beautiful. Dylan sat back down and took her hand in his. 

"Everything will be alright Rommie, I know it will."

He silently prayed that everything would be okay. 

And the prayer was sent out to the universe and the universe answered it in it's own way, but the universe has a strange sense of humour, like taking someone words exactly as they appear, instead of how they were meant.

. . .

That might have been a cryptic way of saying all will be fine, or does it mean something more? Please review if you have the time and I promise a longer chapter soon! 


	5. Thinking it over

Ever After chapter 5

Disclaimer: Twice in a period of moments a disclaimer was written in chapter 1

Alright this isn't going to be as long as I planned because of the one thing that pervades all sense of reality: homework. So I'll try for a longer one next time. Go raibh maith agat (i.e. thanks!) for the reviews! Well, everyone likes a little variety. So on with the story! 

A month later... (i.e.. about two months to the due date...I think)

Everything seemed to be going okay. According to Harper the baby seemed to be doing fine but to be honest he didn't know much more than the fact that the baby was still growing. 

As for the ambassadors, Rommie smiled inwardly at the thought of the ambassadors. Beka and Tyr had discovered the name of the person on the Commonwealth council that had ordered the virus to be created. 

Apparently, it was a Nietzchean member (no surprises there) and he had managed to bully the council into passing the motion using a few choice threats and bribes. So when Dylan approached the head of the council and a few of the members who he knew he wasn't that surprised to find that they were not happy with the situation either.

In the end the Nietzchean lost his position on the council and the two Ambassadors are still awaiting trial. Apparently there had never been any actual orders to force the termination of the baby. So after that life had returned to normal, well as normal as a pregnant ship and her crew could manage.

The mood swings has lessened and the malfunctions had also lessened. So with only two months to go, Dylan had suggested that Rommie take what he affectionately called avaternaty leave. So they had visited some nice safe commonwealth member planets, done some shopping and were generally taking it easy. 

The waiting wasn't so bad now. She was still worried about the thought of being a mother but after all she'd been through she wasn't prepared to give up this chance for anything. 

Actually, things being so good around here at the moment meant that the only really problematic thing that she had to think about was Dylan. 

He had been so sweet lately and so caring. He was constantly checking on her to make sure she was okay and he was making sure she rested enough and conserved energy and didn't overdo it.

They usually spent the evenings together, playing various games which she usually won (sometimes she had the feeling that maybe he was letting her win, but then again, she was an android). 

Harper, Trance and Beka had been playing 'name the baby'. Finding every name they could think of and suggesting them to her. Since they weren't sure whether it would be a girl or a boy, Rommie was quite content to wait and see. 

Tyr had found her a book about how Nietzchean women care for their children. It was a thoughtful gift but Rommie wasn't really sure about some of the ideals they thought their children. 

But anyway, back to the problem at hand. Dylan. She kept trying to evade things. Since the pregnancy she hadn't really had time to think about how she felt about him but more and more she got the feeling that he felt more than just friendship for her.

But there was one thing that would stand in their way. The baby. It was a constant reminder about her and Cole. She had barely given him a thought since they weren't able to contact him. But she knew that every time Dylan saw her, whatever he felt about her, the baby was still like a big sign saying 'I was with someone else'. 

But it wasn't like he hadn't done that. Slept with other women. In fact she could think of a few... one Nietzchean assassin in particular. But he didn't have any lingering reminders of what he'd done. And she had an unborn baby. 

Though she didn't resent the fact that the baby was there, she loved the baby but she also loved Dylan and she knew in her heart, if AI's have hearts, that she could not have both. Not now. 

Something jolted her out of her reverie. It was Tyr, arriving on the command deck to start his shift. She turned to leave, she was supposed to meet Dylan on the observation deck in half an hour. It was then that she noticed it, as she walked down the silence of the corridors and it was echoingly loud. 

It might have been there before but she couldn't be sure. She went left instead of right to her quarters and headed to Harper's workshop. When she walked in he was working on something but as he noticed her he stopped and looked up.

"Hey Rommie, you're looking radiant as always. What can I do for you?"

She usually smiled at his complements but today she barely heard them. Harper noticed this and was immediately serious.

"What's the matter Rommie?"

She looked at him, the concern so obvious on his face.

"I don't know, I think there is something wrong, something is very wrong."

He sat her down and grabbed the nearest diagnostic tool. Since the virus the baby had created a type of protective shielding which made scanning difficult.

"Do you hear it? The sound? What is it?"

Harper looked at her and grabbed something fairly similar to a stethoscope. A look of amazement appeared on his face.

"What is it Harper?"

He looked at her still shocked and confused. He took a deep breath and told her.

"It's a heartbeat Rommie, your baby has a heartbeat."

. . .

So, did you see that coming? And what does it mean? Well, maybe you'll find out next chapter. Please review so then I can know what you think about the story and whether like the newest revelations. This does kind of look like it's turning out to be Dylan/Rommie but you never know. 


	6. What really matters

Ever After Chapter 6

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

Okay here goes the sixth longer chapter.Yes, actually longer! Thanks for the reviews, they are always nice to read! I put a lot in this chapter cos I'll be gone all tomorrow. I get to spend nine hours watching new episodes of Buffy, Angel and unfortunately Smallville! It is much better than waiting until they air them over here! 

A second later....

"Harper, what do you mean heartbeat? My baby is an android, it can't have a heartbeat because it doesn't have a heart!"

Rommie was getting fairly upset over this. After all they'd been through and now this.

"Okay Rommie, I need you to do a partial shutdown of your systems so that I can perform a complete diagnostic and find out why the baby has a heartbeat."

Rommie tried to calm her emotions, Harper was obviously doing his best to try and help her.

"Could you let Dylan know that I won't be able to meet him as planned? But don't worry him, he seems to spend all his time worrying about me."

Harper smiled slightly. "Sure thing Rommie."

. . .

A few hours later.....

Harper had completed his diagnostic and was reinitialising all of Rommie systems. He wasn't sure how she was going to take all the information he was about to give her. 

He thought it would be best to have someone else there while he told her. Beka maybe, or Trance. Just in case she got a bit too upset. Even Dylan but Harper didn't think Rommie would like that. 

In the end he got Dylan anyway. Beka and Trance were on a supply run and had gotten delayed and Tyr... well he wouldn't be the best person in the current situation. So Dylan it was then.

When Rommie's systems came back online she opened her eyes and sat up. She was immediately aware that both Harper and Dylan were in the room.

"Hey Rommie, how are you feeling?"

Dylan smiled at her warmly but there was something in his eyes that betrayed his concern.

"What's wrong?" 

Dylan looked at her and then exchanged a glance with Harper. 

"Mr, Harper was just about to tell us."

Harper looked from one to the other and sighed. Now he knew how doctors who had to give out bad news felt.

"Well the scans confirm the baby does have a heartbeat...."

Dylan looked surprised, he hadn't heard this part of the conversation yet.

"... and therefore has a heart and a circulatory system."

Rommie was wondering exactly what this meant.

"So the baby is human"

Harper paused, than continued.

"No, not human, at least not exactly human. Kind of a human-android hybrid."

Dylan was almost reeling from the shock.

"How did this happen?"

Rommie was speechless. Her baby was part human. How could this be? 

Harper was looking like he wished he was somewhere else, anywhere else.

"Well, you remember when the virus destroyed a lot of the babies programming and files. When the self-protection program activated it detected the losses and tried to compensate for them. It found something that it could use to re-create the files that were lost."

Dylan was now very confused.

"What did it use?"

Harper took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice steady as he replied.

"DNA, or more specifically, your DNA." 

Dylan mind just couldn't handle the concept, his DNA, how did it even get his DNA? And then he remembered, he had just passed it off as nothing.

**Probably the one and only flashback to occur in this story**

From Chapter four:

As Harper was telling him this, Dylan, who was holding Rommie's hand suddenly yelled in pain. And pulled his hand from Rommie's.

"What the hell was that?" He was holding up his now bleeding palm. Trance left to grab a medkit.

"It's probably just a malfunction because of the virus program and the fact that the babies own protection program is, like everything else, untested."

**End of Flashback**

"But it wasn't a malfunction."

Dylan looked at Harper waiting to see what else he had to say.

"No, it wasn't a malfunction. It was the self-protection program and survival at its best. It needed something that could create sufficient programming so it mixed what remained of its programming with your DNA and replaced whatever was lost. 

It's circulatory system is a mixture of DNA and the normal components that the baby didn't have enough of and couldn't synthesise. So it's kind of a 50-50 mix of android and human."

Harper paused to take a breath and then turned towards the door saying.

"Well that's all I have to tell you so, congratulations I guess, you're a dad!"

Rommie hadn't said anything. Well, what could she say? The person she loved was now the father of her baby. Her baby was half human. So what did that mean? And could her baby even survive? 

Dylan hadn't said anything since Harper left. He was just standing with his head in his hands. Probably just as shocked as she was, or more shocked. 

She knew she was going to be a mother. She had known for a while now. But he had just found out that he was going to be a father and it hadn't been his choice, none of it had.

She finally found her voice and spoke to him, startling him out of his reverie.

"Dylan, I'm sorry this has happened, I didn't know this could happen."

He looked up at her. She was fighting the urge to cry, but this wasn't the time for tears. They needed to sort things out.

"This wasn't your fault Rommie, you couldn't have known this would happen. And.. I just need some time to think this out...."

And he turned and walked out the door. 

"Dylan wait! Dylan please!" The door closed and he was gone. And then the tears came. They were getting to be very familiar. Once upon a time she hadn't known what it was like to cry, now it seemed the universe wasn't going to let her forget.

. . .

Beka and Trance arrived back to find things a lot different from when they had left. Harper met them on the way in and told them what had happened. 

Trance looked at Beka. "Do you want Dylan or Rommie?"

Beka sighed. "I'll take Dylan, you might have better luck with Rommie than I would."

As they went their separate ways Harper decided that someone had better fill Tyr in, and that someone was going to be him. 

. . .

Beka found Dylan in his quarters. He was just sitting staring into space when Beka walked in. He didn't seem very pleased to see her.

"Did you want something Beka?"

"What no 'how was your trip?' or 'did you get the supplies we wanted?'."

Dylan just looked at her and it wasn't a friendly look. But she wasn't about to be put off. 

"So I hear you're going to be a dad. Tyr's going to be jealous. Do you want to talk about it?"

Dylan sighed and spoke.

"I'm sorry Beka, but no, I don't really want to talk about it. What is there to talk about? What can I say in this situation, yes I've always wanted to be a father. But not under these circumstances, not like this."

He got up and walked across the room, to where the picture of Sara was. Beka watched him.

"I always planned on a having kids. Two or three little ones running around the house. Sara and I used to talk about it. What we'd call them, whether they'd be boys or girls. This, this is just so complicated though. All of this is."

He put the picture of Sarah back down on the shelf.

"Do you love her? Do you love Rommie?"

He looked at her, startled by the directness of her question. He answered her truthfully.

"Yes, but..."

Beka didn't give him a chance to finish.

"Then it's really very simple, isn't it?"

. . .

Trance found Rommie in the hydroponics garden. She was sitting among the flowers crying. For all her cool, controlled android ways, she looked very human at that moment.

Trance sat down beside her and just waited for her to speak. Sometimes all you need to do is wait and they'll tell you what the problem is. You just need to be a good listener. 

"He doesn't want the baby."

Rommie spoke through tears. Trance was surprised, it wasn't exactly what she had expected. 

"Why do you think that?"

"Because he left, he wouldn't even talk to me. He doesn't want my children, he wants Sara's children."

Trance guessed that this was the point when you needed to be not just a good listener but a good talker too. A few sentences can change a persons whole perspective on something, or reinforce it completely.

"Dylan isn't that kind of person Rommie. Firstly, Sarah is gone and has been for a long time and Dylan knows this. Secondly Dylan is the kind of person who cherishes life, almost any kind of life and he would not reject something that is part of him. 

And thirdly and most importantly is that you love him and he knows it, deep down inside he knows this." 

Rommie's sobs had been getting quieter and quieter until they faded completely. She seemed to have taken in some of Trances words.

The door to hydroponics opened and Dylan walked in. Trance stood up.

"I'll leave you two alone."

As Trance left and the door closed Dylan walked over to where Rommie was sitting. 

"I'm sorry that I left earlier. I, I needed to get some things straight in my head."

They sat in silence for about five minutes while Rommie thought over Dylan's words. Finally Dylan thought he had better say something.

"So, we're going to be parents. What do you think of Lara for a girl or Thomas for a boy?"

Rommie looked up at him.

"Do you really want this baby? Because this won't work unless you really want it."

Rommie knew that this was it, either Dylan would say he wanted the baby and they'd cope or he wouldn't and things would never be okay. 

"Rommie.. this baby was a shock to me, and to you, but only one things matters really and that's love. And I love you Rommie and I will love our baby. I do want this baby and I know that we can make this work."

Dylan took her hand in his and waited for her reply.

"I love you too, Dylan." And she was crying again but this time they were tears of joy.

Dylan kissed her. He kissed her tears and hugged her. And gradually she stopped crying. They were both smiling, so happy that they finally had things sorted out.

It seemed like they'd spent so long avoiding each other but now this baby, like a miracle, had brought them together. They still had lots of things to get through but they'd make it together.

Just then the door opened and in came Beka, Harper, Trance and Tyr with glasses and Dylan guessed, champagne. He hadn't activated privacy mode so Andromeda had probably told them what was going on. 

But it looked like the others were planning a celebration. And why not, they had lots to celebrate! 

. . .

So by now I'm very convinced that this is going to be a Rommie/Dylan fic. So girl or boy? And how exactly is Rommie going to have this baby? All this, and more, will be successfully answered next chapter! Reviews are much appreciated! 


	7. Happy?

Ever After Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Look in chapter one, if it's not there than someone has stolen it or maybe it got lost!

Okay, I apologise for the delay with this story but there was no point writing it while I was completely exhausted and could barely keep my eyes open. So here is the next and last chapter of this story, enjoy. 

Two months later..

It had all happened so fast that Dylan could barely believe it. First they had found out the baby was human and then while he and Rommie got use to the idea that it was going to be their child, Harper and Trance informed them that they would have to perform a caesarean because the programming for the birth of a fully android baby was not suitable for a human-android baby.

As soon as Harper and Trance had judged that it was safe for the baby to be born they brought Rommie to the med-deck. There was barely any time for Rommie to have any pre-birth fears but Dylan was there to calm her when she began to panic.

And everything went fine. Harper looked after the technical side and Trance took care of the biological side. They were a perfect team. Dylan held Rommie's hand as they began the operation. 

Harper opened up the section Rommie stomach that had the baby concealed behind it. Trance stood by to remove the baby and if needed, to place it on a ventilator. It happened so fast, one second Harper was saying something to Trance, the next there was a small baby in her arms. 

That was when everything went wrong. The alarms started beeping and Rommie began to shake violently. He heard Harper voice, distant.

"We're losing her. Her android matrix is destabilising!."

Dylan watched helpless as he tried to save her. Rommie's eyes were frantic and she gripped Dylan's hand. He barely heard the first cry of the baby but he heard Rommie whispered words. 

"Take care of our baby." 

Her eyes closed and then he heard Harper's voice.

"We've lost her." 

He awoke with a shout. Sitting up in the chair he had fallen asleep in at Rommie's bedside. In a cot next to him slept his son. Rommie was fine, for a few seconds her systems had fluctuated and almost shut down but this was just a reaction to the sudden release from the strain of the baby on her systems. 

Now Rommie had shut down most of her active sensors and was, technically, in a standby mode while her systems reaccustomed themselves to her normal non-pregnant form.

The seizures Rommie had experienced lasted less than half a minute and then Trance was giving her the baby to hold. A son, she had told him. 

Rommie had held him and immediately she started crying, but assured them it was from happiness and that she adored the baby. He had hugged her and kissed her cheek. 

The babies cry brought him out of his reverie. He had only held him for a short time but Trance had said that the baby really needed to sleep. So they had set up a cot for him beside his mothers bed and as Rommie was lying, seemingly asleep beside him, he fell asleep watching his child and his love.

And now the baby was crying. Dylan picked him up, gently, and tried to find a comfortable way to hold the baby securely in his arms. Once he had done that, he hoped the baby would stop crying, but it didn't. So he stood up and started pacing the room rocking the baby gently. And he quieted.

He sat back down and the baby started crying again. It took five times of walking and rocking until the baby had fallen asleep once more. Holo-Rommie appeared and said in a whisper, "The babies AI had just asserted itself" 

And sure enough, in her arms lay a baby, sleeping like Dylan's. They were one in the same he knew. He was about to ask Rommie what the baby AI mainframe was doing when she told him.

"It appears to be sleeping but when it's awake it mostly just observes. I've created a firewall protected area for it so that it won't get into any of the main systems, at least until it's older."

And then she was gone and it was quiet once more. Beka and Tyr had already been in to see the baby and everyone had left to let them have some rest. But, they were planning a party as soon as they were all up to it. A sort of christening, in fact.

A voice from behind him startled him. 

"Dylan?"

He turned to see Rommie, awake now and smiling. She looked like her old self again. He walked over and as she sat on the side of the bed, he sat beside her. She took the baby from him and his hand encircled her shoulder.

"All that trouble and this is the result. He looks so small, so helpless. How can we possibly hope to protect him Dylan? How can we make sure that he grows up good and safe. There is so much he needs to know and how can we teach him all this? What if we do something wrong?"

Dylan had been expecting this. Actually he had been expecting something worse but he was prepared anyway. Her fears were no different for anyone who was a parent for the first time.

"By example, Rommie. We will teach him how to be good and to do the right thing because we will always try to do the same and he will learn from us. We can teach him everything we know and that is all we can do. Truly it is up to him to do the right thing, to make the right choices. We can only do our best."

Rommie smiled at him. "And we will."

He kissed her and kissed the cheek of his son. "Yes, we will."

"So what will we call him?"

"Well, I know I said I wanted to call him Thomas but I think we should call him something else."

Rommie looked up at him, a little puzzled.

"What then?"

Dylan looked down at their son who yawned sleepily. 

"I think we should call him Cade."

Rommie smiled at the baby and looked back at Dylan. 

"Why Cade?" 

"It's from a myth or a story that was written a long time ago on Earth. It was about a great warrior who was twice blessed. And I think that through all that has happened our baby has been blessed once by his creation and the name just seemed fitting."

He looked at her, waiting for her answer.

"I think that it is perfect. Cade Hunt. Captain Cade Hunt one day, maybe."

Rommie smiled at Dylan and they kissed. Cade awoke and his arms and legs flailing he made some happy baby sounds. His parents looked down at him and briefly both of them wondered what was to come. 

But as his gurgling turned to a cry, both parents were pulled back into the present and the wonder of the new life before them. For the time being, it looked like it really would be happy ever after.

The End 

So that's it, at least for this part of the story. I would consider doing a story of the growing up of Cade and how Dylan and Rommie would be like as parents. But it really depends on if anyone would like me to write it. I really enjoyed writing this story, probably more than any of my others. Thanks to anyone who reviewed it and I hope you enjoyed it just as much as I did!


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